Informix Error -2866: The NOW attribute may be assigned only to datetime columns.

Cause and resolution

The NOW attribute may be assigned only to datetime columns.

This message is not in use in any current product. SQL does not support any NOW attribute or function; use the CURRENT function.

Oninit® Troubleshooting Guidance

Reasons / Common Causes

-2866 is a legacy message: per the official guidance, it is not in use in any current product, because SQL does not support any NOW attribute or function — the CURRENT function is used instead.

Encountering this message at all is not expected in a current product, per the official guidance, since no current version of SQL has a NOW attribute/function to trigger it.

Solutions / Resolution

Use the CURRENT function instead of NOW, per the official guidance, wherever the current date/time is needed.

Examples

Using CURRENT in place of NOW

ATTRIBUTES
  order_date = order_date, DEFAULT = CURRENT;

Diagnostic Checks

Check for any lingering NOW reference in the form specification, and replace it with CURRENT.

Related Errors / Related Topics

-2867 — "The CURRENT attribute may be assigned only to datetime columns." A related, currently-applicable error covering the same DATETIME-only assignment rule for the CURRENT function that actually exists in current products.

This is a legacy message not triggered by any current product — SQL uses CURRENT, not NOW.